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Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) (Paperback)

by Geraldine Pinch (Author) "In the late 4th millennium BC, the valley and delta of the River Nile were formed into the twin kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 160 pages
  • Publisher: OUP Oxford (22 April 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0192803468
  • ISBN-13: 978-0192803467
  • Product Dimensions: 16.8 x 11.2 x 1.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 255,655 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #85 in  Books > Mind, Body & Spirit > Mythology > Storytelling

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Product Description

Product Description

The complex world of Egyptian myth is clearly illuminated in this fascinating new approach to ancient Egypt. Geraldine Pinch explores the cultural and historical background behind a wide variety of sources and objects, from Cleopatra's Needle and Tutankhamun's golden statue, to a story on papyrus of the gods misbehaving. What did they mean, and how have they been interpreted? The reader is taken on an exciting journey through the distant past, and shown how myths of deities such as Isis and Osiris influenced contemporary culture and have become part of our cultural heritage.

About the Author

Geraldine Pinch has degrees in Egyptology from Oxford and Cambridge, and has given courses and seminars in Ancient Egyptian civilization and religion at both universities. She has served on the council of the Egypt Exploration Society and on the editorial board of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology. She is now on the editorial board of The Journal of Ancient Near Eastern Religions, and is the author of several books and articles on Egyptian myth, magic, and
religion.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
In the late 4th millennium BC, the valley and delta of the River Nile were formed into the twin kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice try - and couldn't be better, but still..., 14 May 2007
By Andreas P. Rauch - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Egyption Myth is a complex subject: Not only are the written sources fragmentary and contradictive, but the mindset of ancient Egyptians is quite alien to ours. Many aspects of Egyptian culture are yet not fully understood, and the mythology is quite confusing to outsiders.

And fascinating.

Geraldine Pinch's book is a brave attempt to give an overview of Egyptian myth, its role, and its cultural background. The most central myth of Egypt is Seth's murder of his brother Osiris. The latter's resurrection by his sister Isis, his succession by Horus (the younger), and his becoming the ruler of the underworld are referred to in burial as well as fertility rituals, on temple walls as well as in "magical" papyri. Pinch discusses the Osiris myth and its variations in detail, and shows how other myths are related to this central tale. - Other myths Pinch sketches deal with creation, the Egyptian nation as such, death, language and writing.

My problem with the book is that it is frustrating: Every answer the author gives, and she does so in a very competent and well-written way, left me more puzzled, more confused.
I had to realise that I do not understand ancient Egyptians at all: Why didn't all these contradictions bother them - e. g., there are half a dozen different gods credited as being creators of the world? Why did they put such a lot of emphasis on funeral rites, burial chambers and rituals? Some ideas have parallels in the bible, but come in quite different contexts - are there connections, and how come?

"Egyptian Myth" leaves one puzzled, with some very general ideas about Egyptian culture and myths, but with more questions than answers. For anyone who really wants to understand the Egyptian mindset (as far as such things exist), the books of Jan Assmann come very handy.

One should not expect to understand much after reading Pinch's book, except for two things: Ancient Egypt is far more alien than it appears at first glance, and its myths are a fascinating subject. For anyone who is not yet enthralled by Egyptology, this very short introduction might be a good starting point.

But the subject is far too complex that one could expect more than some scratchings on the surface - which lead to a rather frustrating reading experience in my case.
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5.0 out of 5 stars An expert guide through the maze of Egyptian myth, 17 Nov 2008
By Peter Reeve (Thousand Oaks, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
There is no Egyptian Hesiod or Ovid. Still less is there anything from ancient Egypt that is like the Bible or the Koran. Instead, we have certain core myths that recur in fragmentary forms (mythemes) and in countless variations, down through the centuries. Enacting these myths, we have deities who constantly get killed and resurrected, who take on various animal guises and, most confusingly, often merge with one another to form composite deities.

Making sense of this disparate and perplexing data, so different in flavour from the more familiar Graeco-Roman or Norse myths, is a huge task. Geraldine Pinch succeeds splendidly, especially given the very restricted space she has here.

Pinch has a very readable style, free from scholarly pomposity, but without any dumbing-down. She clearly knows and loves her subject, and recognizes the difficulties of getting to grips with it. This is an enjoyable and authoritative introduction to the mythology that helped sustain Earth's first great civilization for thousands of years.
[PeterReeve]
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